Pump motor control with adaptive startup

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11131968-B2
Application number	US-202016910509-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2020
Priority date	Dec 28, 2015
Publication date	Sep 28, 2021
Grant date	Sep 28, 2021

Abstract

An apparatus for starting operation of a motor of an implantable blood pump including a memory storing one or more default parameters for at least one of controlling and monitoring the startup operation. A processor operatively coupled to the motor is included, the processor is configured to: commence the startup operation based on the one or more default parameters; detect an error during the startup operation; adjust at least one of the one or more default parameters in response to the detected error; store the at least one adjusted parameter in the memory; and commence subsequent startup operations based at least in part on the at least one adjusted parameter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for starting operation of a motor of an implantable blood pump, comprising:
a memory storing one or more preprogrammed default parameters for at least one of controlling and monitoring the startup operation, the one or more preprogrammed default parameters including a speed of the motor; and
a processor operatively coupled to the motor, the processor being configured to:
commence the startup operation based on the one or more preprogrammed default parameters;
ramp a speed of the motor based on at least one of the one or more preprogrammed default parameters, and maintain the speed of the motor for a given number of commutation cycles;
detect an error during the startup operation, the error detected during the startup operation is indicative that the motor is operating as a result of the startup but at a rate at which the pump speed is ramped up is not normal;
update at least one of the one or more preprogrammed default parameters to an updated parameter different than the one or more preprogrammed default parameters in response to the detected error;
store the at least one updated parameter in the memory; and

commence subsequent startup operations based at least in part on the at least one updated parameter.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein storing the at least one updated parameter in the memory occurs when commencing subsequent startup of the motor is successful.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores parameter adjustment data indicating an association between at least one error type of the detected error and at least one associated parameter, and wherein the processor is configured to identify at least one default parameter associated with the detected error based on the parameter adjustment data and to adjust the at least one preprogrammed default parameter in response to the detected error.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the parameter adjustment data further indicates whether to at least one of increase and decrease the associated parameter in response to the at least one error type to reduce the likelihood of a recurrence of the at least one error type, and wherein the processor is configured to at least one of increase and decrease the at least one default parameter based on the parameter adjustment data.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to detect an error during the startup operation based on at least one of a determined speed of the motor, current supplied to the motor, flow rate of blood through the pump, and pressure head exerted by the pump.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more preprogrammed default parameters includes a value indicating a threshold number of errors, and wherein the processor is further configured to cease operation of the motor in response to registering the threshold number of errors during consecutive startup operation attempts.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more preprogrammed default parameters includes at least one parameter related to a rate at which speed of the motor is ramped, and wherein the processor is configured to identify a suction condition at the implantable blood pump, and to adjust the at least one parameter related to a rate at which speed of the motor is ramped in response to the suction condition.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more preprogrammed default parameters includes at least one parameter related to a rate at which speed of the motor is ramped, and wherein the processor is configured to identify a high pressure condition at the implantable blood pump, and to adjust the at least one parameter related to a rate at which speed of the motor is ramped in response to the high pressure condition.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more preprogrammed default parameters includes at least one parameter related to motor phase control, and wherein the processor is configured to identify a commutation error at a rotor of the implantable blood pump, and to adjust the at least one parameter related to motor phase control in response to the commutation error.

10. A method of adaptively adjusting operational parameters of a motor of an implanted medical device, comprising:
commencing a startup operation based on one or more preset operational parameters;
detecting an error during the startup operation, the error detected during the startup operation is indicative that the motor is operating as a result of the startup but at a rate at which the pump speed is ramped up is not normal;
updating at least one of the one or more preset operational parameters with an updated parameter different than one or more operation parameter in response to the detected error;
replacing at least one of the one or more preset operational parameters with the at least one updated parameter as a default parameter in the memory; and
commencing subsequent startup operations based at least in part on the at least one updated parameter.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the detecting and updating are repeatedly performed until the startup operation is successfully completed.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising associating the detected error with at least one of the one or more present operational parameters based upon preset association data, and wherein adjusting at least one of the one or more preset operational parameters is based on the association.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the association further comprises an indication whether to at least one of increase and decrease the at least one of the one or more preset operational parameters, and wherein updating at least one of the one or more preset operational parameters comprises at least one of an increase and a decrease of the at least one of the one or more preset operational parameters based on the indication.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein commencing a startup operation comprises ramping a speed of the motor based on at least one of the one or more preset operational parameters, and phase-locking the motor based on at least one of the one or more preset operational parameters.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein when the motor is in an idle state, commencing a startup operation comprises aligning one or more stators of the motor with a predetermined position, and ramping a speed of the motor commences with the stators in the predetermined position.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein detecting an error during the startup operation is based on at least one of a determined speed of the motor and current supplied to the motor.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the implanted medical device is a blood pump, and wherein detecting an error during the startup operation is based on at least one of a flow rate of blood through the pump, and pressure head exerted by the pump.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein commencing a startup operation includes applying a plurality of fixed-duty cycle pulses to the motor.

Assignees

• Heartware Inc

Inventors

• Rudser John

Classifications

• A61M60/422

  the force acting on the blood contacting member being electromagnetic, e.g. using canned motor pumps · CPC title

• A61M60/237

  the blood flow through the rotating member having mainly axial components, e.g. axial flow pumps · CPC title

• A61M60/232

  Centrifugal pumps · CPC title

• A61M60/178

  drawing blood from a ventricle and returning the blood to the arterial system via a cannula external to the ventricle, e.g. left or right ventricular assist devices · CPC title

• A61M60/411

  generated by an electromotor · CPC title